Handcrafts and folk art in Puebla
The best-known craft of Puebla is Talavera pottery—which is the only mayolica style pottery continuously produced in Mexico since it was introduced in the early colonial period.
Other notable handcraft traditions include trees of life from Izúcar de Matamoros and amate (bark) paper made by the very small town of San Pablito in the north of the state.
The state also makes glass, Christmas tree ornaments, indigenous textiles, monumental clocks, baskets, and apple cider.
[1] Glazed, double-fired pottery called mayolica was introduce to Mexico from Spain between 1550 and 1585, and was produced in various areas during the colonial period.
The best known of these is that of Izúcar de Matamoros, whose main product are a traditional sculpted work called a tree of life.
[3] Common pottery item include large pots and casseroles used for cooking traditional dishes such as rice and mole poblano.
[1] This kind of pottery-making remains a viable occupation because of the creativity and organization of the artisans who work principally to make large size cooking utensils.
[4] These are also made in the town of Amozoc de Mota, to the east of the city of Puebla, where being a member of an artisan family still carries some prestige.
[4] Both the Barrio de la Luz and Amozoc communities also make ritual items such as incense burners, candle holders, and containers—which are generally covered in a black glaze and most often used for Day of the Dead decoration.
One particular tradition is the making of black wool rebozos, richly decorated with multicolored animal and flower designs that predate the Conquest.
[5] Amate paper is made in the small village of San Pablito, Pahuatlan in the Sierra Norte de Puebla.
Today, most is made for sale to other indigenous artisans who use it to paint images in Amayaltepec, San Agustin de las Flores, and various communities in the state of Guerrero.
[7] Sizes ranges from tiny spheres sold as earrings, to very large singular pieces displayed on its own wood base selling for about 2,000 pesos each.
[7] While painted spheres dominate, other Christmas tree ornaments such as glass in other shapes (e.g., piñatas, fruit, and human figures), and those with pine branches, ixtle and wood are also made.
[7][8] The town has about 450 family workshops and six small factories,[7][8] which make the community the number one producer of Christmas ornaments in the country.
[8] The fair attracts visitors from Mexico and abroad, mostly from the United States and Spain, and business people interested in export.
One of the newer designs are clear spheres filled with feathers, or notes with words such as “love” and “peace.”[7] Other handcrafts are related to construction, such as stone quarrying and artistic wrought iron—both important to colonial and colonial-style buildings.
Onyx is a commonly worked stone, not only for construction, but also for the making of decorative objects such as boxes, lamps, book holders, and tables.
[1][4] Santa María Chigmecatitlán is a Mixtec community in southern Puebla that is noted for its basketry, especially the making of miniature figures with palm fronds.
While the town has woven palm for many years, only after 1965 did miniatures become popular, mostly due to demand from tourists and handcraft retailers.
